Ct 


y.  -     ^1  VnjO' 


K^EiPOK^T 


OF 


Fred.  Law  Olmsted 


ON 


Mount  Royal  Park. 


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209  West  46th  Street, 

New  York,  23rd  Nov.,  1874. 

To  THE  Honorable  the  Commissioners  of  Mount 
Royal  Park,  Montreal  ; 

Gentlemen, —  I  herein  transcribe  the  draft  of  a  propo- 
sition made  to  yon  last  Monday,  with  modifications,  as 
desired  by  you,  and,  as  I  understand,  then  provisionally 
accepted. 

Forecasting  your  undertaking,  I  judge  that  the  prin- 
cipal construction  work  for  the  next  year  should  be  that 
of  a  road  and  of  one  or  more  walks  by  which  the  moun- 
tain can  be  ascended,  and  as  I  much  prefer,  before 
maturing  a  design  for  laying  out  the  top  of  the  mountain, 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  more  carefully  studying  its 
summer  conditions,  I  make  the  following  propositions: 

1st.  I  will  furnish  you  before  the  firsi,  of  May  next 
with  a  plat  showing  the  changes  which  I  shall  recommend 
to  be  made  in  the  boundaries  of  your  property,  and  a 
plan  of  approach  roads  and  such  other  matters  as  it  will, 
in  my  judgment,  be  feasible  and  desirable  for  you  to 
operate  upon  during  the  working  season  of  1875  ;  together 
with  such  general  indications  of  the  main  features  of  a 
plan  for  the  whole,  as  will  be  necessary  to  the  intelligent 
judgment  upon  the  parts  of  the  plan  more  fully  matured 
and  submitted  for  your  adoption, 

2nd.  I  will  subsequently  furnish  you  with  a  general 
plan  for  laying  out  your  whole  property  on  a  scale  of  one 
hundred  feet  to  the  inch  ;  also,  if  my  recor.Tmendation  as 
to  change  of  boundary  are  adopted,  with  a  special  plan 
for  the  proposed  little  park  district  on  a  scale  of  fifty  feet 
to  the  inch  ;  and  another  lor  certain  parts  of  the  property 
which  you  will  be  recommended  to  sell,  showing  pro- 
posed streets  and  lots, 

3rd.  I  will  also  give  you  a  general  report  describing 
and  explaining  the  plans,  giving  the  reasons  for  the  t>everal 


57683 


important  features  and  advice  as  to  the  method  of  carry- 
ing them  out. 

4th.  I  will  deliver  all  the  above  plans  and  the  report 
before  the  first  of  May  (or  before  they  shall  be  required 
with  reference  to  the  opening  of  operations  in  the  spring) 
of  1876,  and  until  I  deliver  them,  will  give  you  such 
services  as  advisory  Landscape  Architect  as  I  deem  to  be 
necessary,  without  special  charge. 

6th.  On  the  presumption  that  the  ground  to  be  covered 
does  not  materially  exceed  five  hundred  acres  (say  530) 
and  that  no  change  or  addition  to  your  scheme  will  be 
made  adding  essentially  to  my  responsibility,  I  will 
receive  as  my  full  compensation  for  the  above  specified 
■ervices  a  sum  of  money  equivalent  to  five  Ihousand 
dollars  in  United  States  currency,  to  be  paid  to  me  in 
New  York,  as  follows  :  Five  hundred  dollars  on  or  before 
the  tenth  day  of  January,  1875 ;  five  hundred  dollars 
within  thirty  days  after  the  delivery  of  the  first  plat  and 
plans;  and  the  remaining  sum  of  four  thousand  dollars  at 
the  completion  of  this  engagement  (unless  on  evidence  of 
progress  in  the  meantime  you  shall,  on  my  application, 
deem  it  just  to  pay  me  a  part  of  the  same  on  account). 

I  shall  also  require  that  you  reimburse  me  for  all 
outlays  in  necessary  travelling  expenses  or  other  expenses 
incurred  under  your  special  instructions  from  time  to  time, 
and  that  all  desirable  aid  and  facilities  shall  be  given  me 
whereby  my  work,  when  on  the  ground,  shall  be  better 
advanced  and  proceed  more  advantageously  for  your 
interest. 

It  will,  of  course,  be  a  condition  of  this  arrangement 
that  you  furnish  me  with  a  copy  ol  the  topographical  map 
V     '  ir:  preparation,  as  you  have  agreed  to  do,  in  due  time, 
.  y,  b-jfore  the  1st  of  February  next. 
^"        I  am,  gentlemen, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
;^       '  ;'    FEED.  LAW  OLMSTED. 


■I      ■'!)   \'.:l 


C*i^;i^^:r, 


209,  AVEST  46th  STREET, 

New  York,  21st  November,  1874. 
Tc  the  Honorable, 

the  Commissioners  of 

Mount-Royal  Park,  Montreal. 

G-ENTLEMEN, 

I  have  the  honor  to  comply  with  your  request, 
that  I  would  repeat  in  writing  the  substance  of  certain 
observations  verbally  made  to  you  last  Monday,  in  regard 
to  your  property  of  Mount  Royal. 

As  a  general  rule,  rugged  and  broken  ground  is  the  last 
that  should  be  chosen  for  a  public  recreation  ground  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  a  large  city.  It  is  unnecessary 
that  I  should  show  the  objections  to  it;  the  simple  fact 
that  your  property  differs  so  greatly  in  its  topographical 
characteristics  from  ground,  which  would  be  generally 
and  properly  described  as  "  park-like,"  raises  a  sufficient 
presumption  that  it  is  unsuitable  for  a  park. 

The  question,  whether  it  can,  by  any  means,  be  econo- 
mically adapted  for  the  purposes  for  which  you  intend  it, 
is,  therefore,  first  in  order,  and,  as  it  involves  a  considera- 
tion of  the  main  features  of  a  general  design  for  dealing 
with  it,  it  will  be  the  chief  object  of  my  present  commu- 
nication to  give  you  the  conclusions  of  my  judgment  upon 
this  question,  and  to  indicate  more  or  less  distinctly  the 
processes  by  which  they  have  been  reached. 

The  chief  elements  of  value  of  all  recreation  grounds 
for  the  use  of  the  general  public  of  large  towns  are  :  Ist 
the  change  of  air  afforded;  2nd  the  power  of  their 
scenery  to  counteract  conditions  which  tend  to  nervous 
depression  or  irritability ;  3rd  the  ease  and  pleasure  with 
which  these  advantages  may  be  used. 


Of  the  first  two  of  these  elements  of  value,  Mount- 
iloyal,  in  its  present  unimproved  condition,  offers  a  larger 
measure  than  any  other  place  equally  near  so  large  a 
population  of  which  I  have  knowledge,  and  by  judicious 
means,  as  I  shall  indicate  further  on.  its  advantages  of 
scenery  may  be  heightened,  and  its  disadvantages  less- 
ened. The  question,  then,  is,  whether  its  possible  value 
in  these  respects  can  be  made  available  with  due  ease, 
comfort  and  economy  ?  My  doubts  on  this  point  were 
rapidly  lessened  after  I  got  above  the  craggy  face  oi  the 
mountain  toward  the  city,  and  found  myself  upon  a 
surface  but  moderately  broken  and  rugged,  and  essen- 
tially an  undulating  and  wooded  table-land,  from  nearly 
all  points  of  which  broad  and  delightlul  distant  lands- 
capes are  commanded. 

A  survey  of  this  district  soon  satisiied  me  that  as  far  as 
roads,  walks,  seats  and  other  conveniences  of  exercise, 
rest  and  refreshment  are  concerned,  there  is  no  extraor- 
dinary difficulty  in  providing  within  it  all  that  is  essential 
to  your  purpose,  except  as  it  may  arise  from  the  necessity 
of  unusual  precautions  against  the  bolting  ol'  horses  and 
the  slipping  of  heedless  persons  over  the  steep  declivities, 
and  of  establishing  not  merely  security  in  this  respect, 
but  a  tranquilizing  seiise  of  security  in  the  minds  of  all 
classes  of  visitors. 

Passing  this  point  as  one  of  detail,  it  is  a  more  important 
and  difficult  branch  of  the  question  whether,  these  advan- 
tages being  provided,  the  use  fof  them  can  be  had  by 
the  people  generally  of  the  city,  with  moderate  ease, 
comfort  and  cheapness  ?  The  conditions  necessary  to  be 
considered  before  giving  an  answer  will,  i3erhaps,  be 
better  recognized  if  the  inquiry  is  made  from  the  point 
of  a  physician  considering  the  case  of  a  poor  patient, 
feeble,  timid  and  nervous  :  or  of  a  convalescent  to  whom 
change  of  air  and  scene  w^ould  be  highly  beneficial,  pro- 
vided it  could  be  had  without  too  much  fatigue,  disc©m- 


fort  or  exciting  anxiety.  First,  then,  the  physician  has  to 
reflect  whether  what  is  likely  to  be  gained  througli  quiet, 
pleasurable  recreation  while  moving  or  resling  in  the 
fresh  air  of  the  mountain,  is  likely  to  be  neuti-alized  or 
wovse  through  the  fatiifue,  worry  and  exciiement  that 
will  be  suHered  in  the  journey  to  and  "rom  it :  and.  occond, 
he  has  to  consider  whether  his  patient  can  atfbvd  ihe  cost 
of  the  excursion  ?  The  conclusions  which,  in  course  of 
time,  will  be  reached  in  thousands  of  such  cases,  will  be 
fa\'orable  or  unfavorable  to  the  chances  of  recovery,  or  of 
rapid  or  prolonged  and  tedious  convalescence,  of  the 
patient,  according  to  the  ar]'angements  which  you  will 
determine  to  moke.  Considering  what  is  practicable,  I 
find  <  wo  possible  routes  for  ascending  ^he  moantain  with- 
out going  to  the  rear  of  it:  one  on  Hie  nov  h  and  north- 
west side  ;  the  other  on  the  north-east  and  east.  The  first 
is  more  invii'ug  near  >he  base,  but  in  the  uy»per  half  of  it 
tolevable  grades  a  ad  curves,  for  a  road  of  desirable  breadth, 
can  only  be  obtained  at  great  expense,  and,  the  ground 
being  valuable  ibr  another  purposo,  I  am  disposed  to 
think,  at  least  for  years  to  come,  it  will  be  better  to  have 
but  a  single  main  approach  road,  and  that  on  the  east 
side. 

Here,  from  the  top  of  the  mountain  as  far  down,  at  least, 
as  the  McTavish  monument,  there  is  no  extraordinary 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  preparing  a  road,  two  rods  wide, 
by  which  a  ca^-riage  may  be  driven  up  or  down  at  a 
steady,  moderate  trot,  moving  smoothly  and  quietly,  w^hile 
beauUful  distant  views  are  opening  to  the  south  and  west 
through  j'lames  of  foliage  that  shut  out  any  discordant 
nearer  objects.  A  satisfactory  connection  might  be  made, 
though  with  more  difliculty,  between  the  mountain  load 
at  the  monument  and  the  nearest  streets  of  the  city  now 
in  use.  But  the  grades  of  these  streets  are  so  much 
steeper  than  those  of  the  roads  above  need  to  be,  that, 
whether  in  ascending  or  descending,  horses  would  be 


6 

brought  to  a  walk,  and  in  passing  through  them  at  those 
periods  of  the  day  when  the  park  M'^ould  b(»  the  most 
attractive  and  its  influence  most  beneficial,  all  the  annoy- 
ances and  dangers  of  a  blocked  street  Would  often  be 
experienced. 

Those  who  have  given  little  cons' deration  to  the  subject 
wnll  probcibly  think  that  Montreal  will  hardly  ever  sup- 
ply such  a  stream  of  travel  to  the  mountain  as  I  seem  to 
imagme.  I  will  remark,  therefore,  that  no  experience  of 
Montreal  under  existing  circumstances  will  much  aid  a 
judgment  of  what  will  result  from  a  perfection  ol  proper 
arrangements  for  pleasure  driving,  as  a  few  facts  will  in- 
dicate. For  instance,  since  the  opening  of  the  park  drives 
in  New  York,  the  number  of  persons  keeping  private  car- 
riages is  estimated  to  have  increased  fully  ten  fold ;  the 
number  and  value  of  public  carriages  adapted  to  pleasure 
driving  having  also,  in  the  same  period,  increased  at  a  rate 
far  beyond  that  of  population  and  wealth.  In  Brooklyn  the 
number  of  private  carriages  was  thought  to  have  doul)led 
in  two  years  after  the  opening  of  the  park.  A  similar, 
though  less  marked  experience,  has  been  had  in  Buffalo, 
Chicago,  and  other  American  towns.  The  value  of  a 
pleasure  carriage  is,  in  fact,  found  to  have  been  unknown 
as  long  as  its  use  was  limited  to  ordinary  streets  and  roads. 

Montreal  is  a  prosperous  city  and  rapidly  enlarging  its 
borders  ;  the  number  of  people  able  to  keep  carriages  will 
in  time  be  much  greater  than  at  present ;  the  number  able 
to  employ  public  carriages  will  increase  even  more  rapidly. 
The  views  commanded  from  the  Mountain — surpassing  in 
expanse,  beauty  and  variety  those  of  any  of  the  common 
resorts  of  tourists  on  the  continent — will,  when  they  can 
be  enjoyed  with  such  ease  and  comfort  as  it  will  be  prac- 
ticable for  you  to  secure,  add  largely  to  the  number  of 
visitors  staying  in  the  city  who  will  supply  another  ele- 
ment in  the  throng  to  be  accommodated. 

A   reasonable   consideration   of   these   conditions   and 


probabilities  will  satisfy  you  that  if  the  future  travel  to 
the  mountain  is  to  be  all  or  mainly  dirocted  into  any  one 
of  the  existing'  streets  by  which  the  vicinity  of  the  Mc- 
Tavish  monument  is  approached  I'rom  th(^  lower  ground, 
it  would  be  wholly  inadequate  to  carry  it  except,  in  a  way 
which  w^ould  be  extremely  tedious,  provoking  and  often 
alarining. 

Here,  then,  the  physician  would  hesitate  because  here  a 
hundred  yards  of  movement  would  be  liable  to  cause  more 
fatigue  and  undesirable  excitement  to  the  patient  than  a 
mile  beyond. 

Here,  then,  also,  the  difficulty  of  cost  would  be  largely 
augmented  for,  to  ascend  a  grade  like  that  of  Peel,  or  worse, 
of  McTavish  Street,  tw^o  horses  would  be  required  tomoA^e 
a  load  such  as  one  would  tak^i  with  equal  ease  above,  and 
the  rate  of  wear  and  tear  not  oniy  of  horses,  but  of  harness, 
carriage  and  road  way,  would  be  fully  doubled. 

Under  such  an  arrangement  the  dividends  to  be  obtained 
from  the  capital  you  shall  invest  in  all  your  park  arrange- 
ments, will  be  seriously  less  than  they  will  be  if  you  make 
such  other  approaches  as  I  trust  to  be  practicable.  What 
ought  to  be  hoped  for  in  respect  to  the  cost  of  a  drive  will 
be  evident  iVom  what  is  accomplished  elsewhere.  For 
instance,  the  ordinary  charge  for  carriage  hire  in  the 
streets  of  New  York  is  nearly  double  what  it  is  in  Montreal 
but  the  Park  Commissioners  of  New  York  have  had  no 
diificulty  in  causing  a  dozen  or  more  carriages  to  be  pro- 
vided, comfortable  low-hun«r  covered  vehicles  suitable  for 
weakly  persons  in  which  passengers  are  taken  at  a  rate 
of  fare  oi'  four  cents  a  mile  for  a  course  of  five  miles,  or  of 
five  cents  a  mile  for  a  course  ol  2|  miies.  In  Brooklyn 
and  Philadelphia,  the  Park  Ccmmissioners  have  done  still 
better  than  this  and  the  diificulty  of  doing-  better  in  your 
case  lies  less  in  the  to])ography  of  the  mountain  than  in. 
the  way  your  city  has  ihus  far  been  laid  out  and  built  up. 

My  present  object  is  rather  to  show  what  should  be  the 


8 

line  of  study  to  be  pursued  in  planning-  your  proposed 
improvements  than  to  offer  you  even  a  suggestion  of  a  plan 
for  them  but,  to  illustrate  what  I  should  hope  to  be  pi'ac- 
ticable  in  respect  to  the  a}>proaehes  below  the  mountain, 
I  will  sav  that  it  niic^ht  be  somethinu:  like  this  :  To  extend 
the  road  which  I  have  suggested  would  be  led  spirally 
down  1  he  mountain-side  I'roin  Ihe  southward  with  a  regular 
moderate  descent  along  the  rear  of  Sir  Hu^'h  Allan's 
grounds  and  afterwards  by  a  more  devious  coui  se  across 
the  steep  and  broken  slopes  to  tlje  northward,  until,  in 
the  rear  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  existing  streets  are  reached 
running  with  an  easy  giade,  in  one  direction,  to  the  heart 
of  the  city,  in  the  other,  skirting  its*  present  advanced  build- 
ing line  parallel  to  and  on  the  side  opposite  the  river  front. 
It  might  then  be  further  extended  in  the  laUer  direciion 
in  the  I'orm  of  a  broad  boulevard  or  park-way  exclusively 
for  the  use  of  pleasure  carriages,  crossing  all  the  streets 
running  from  the  river. 

This  being  done,  from  whatever  part  of  the  city  north 
of  Victoria  Square,  carriages  should  be  started  to  go  to  the 
mountain,  they  would  enter  the  park  drive  north  of  the 
steep  foot  slopes  and,  until  this  drive  was  reached  and 
they  were  disengaged  from  all  other  street  trafiic,  they 
would  no  where  be  concentrated  or  add  materially  to  the 
ordinary  number  ol'  vehicles  in  any  street,  while  the  aver- 
age time  recjuired  for  entering  itpon  a  smooth  quiet  ^'oad 
with  no  liability  to  street  obstructions  would  be  less  than 
half  as  much  as  it  would,  if  the  park  drive  was  first  to  be 
south  of  the  reservoir.  For  the  accommodation  of  those 
living  to  the  south  of  Victoria  Square,  special  branch 
approaches  to  the  same  main  approach  would  be  required, 
one  of  which  should  be  to  the  norih  o!'  the  Reservoir 
another  to  the  south  of  the  McTavish  monument.  An 
additional  sub-route  of  approach  still  further  south  is 
practicable  through  land  not  yet  expensively  improved, 
and  two  others  from  the  Cote  des  Neiges  road.      Foot 


9 

approaches  should  closely  follow  the  main  carriage 
approach  and  its  laterals,  but  it  is  desirable  that  there  should 
also  be  one  broad  easy  walk  to  the  top  of  the  mountain 
having  attractions  peculiar  to  itself,  and  several  minor 
foot-paths  scaling  the  crags  more  directly.  Whenever 
street  railways  shall  be  laid  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
an  inclined  lift  or  elevator  will  likewise  be  desirable  to 
save  feeble  persons  and  yound  children  the  hard  toil  of 
its  ascent. 

Reverting  to  the  matter  of  the  general  aspect  of  the 
scenery  if  the  mountain,  I  would  observe  that  the  distant 
prospects  in  all  directions,  offer  such  controlling  attrac- 
tions that  some  of  them,  being  commanded  from  nearly 
all  j^arts  of  the  ground,  the  immediate  local  landscape 
conditions  are  of  much  less  consequence  than  they  usually 
are  in  pleasure  grounds,  and  that  it  is  not  undesirable  that 
they  shoidd  be  subdued  in  character.  Operations  for 
their  improvement  should,  therefore,  not  be  ambitious, 
and  should  be  intended,  lirst,  to  relieve  the  surface  of  the 
mountain  of  the  accidental  and  transient  conditions 
through  which  it  has  at  present  an  unnecessarily  desolate 
and  melancholy  aspect ;  next,  without  destroying  the 
essential  picturesqueness  of  its.  natural  features,  to  add  a 
greater  beauty  oi  foliage ;  next,  to  hold  attention  in  direc- 
tions where  the  linest  views  will  be  seen  to  the  best 
advantage  and  to  furnish  them  with  more  harmonious  and 
better  composed  foregrounds  ;  next,  to  subordi?iate  and» 
as  f;ir  as  may  be  practicable,  obscuve  with  suitable  natural 
objects  the  constructions  necessary  to  the  convenient  use 
of  the  ground  (as  these  must  in  the  end,  be  exte"nsive  and 
more  or  less  too  line  for  hiirmony  with  its  general  char- 
acter) ;  and  iinally,  to  avoid  in  these  and  all  respects  au 
ordiiuiry  conventional  gardening  style  of  work,  as  hnical, 
luiseendy  and  out  of  character  with  the  genius  of  the 
X)lace, 

1  omit  the  observations  made  to  you  verbally  in  regard 


10 

to  the  desirableness  of  a  small  park  proper,  in  distinction 
from  the  larger  mountain  and  forest  district  of  your 
ground,  because  of  the  impossibility  of  doing  justice  to 
the  subject  without  the  advantage  of  demonstration  on  the 
site,  or  over  a  sufficient  topographical  map.  I  will 
merely  observe  that  you  have,  in  addition  to  the  ground 
which  I  have  thus  far  considered,  a  small  area  of  a  diffe- 
rent character,  and  that  it  is  fortunately  situated  to  serve  as 
a  foil,  through  its  natural  amenity  and  the  simple,  quiet, 
secluded  and  pastoral  character  Which  can  be  given  it, 
to  the  grandly  local  and  rugged  heights  and  declivities  of 
the  main  body. 

Surveying  the  whole  property  with  due  regard  for  the 
considerations  I  have  indicated  ;  assuming  that  the  treat- 
ment of  the  mountain  top  shall^be  such  as  I  have  advised, 
and  that  some  such  arrangements  as  I  have  also  suggest- 
ed, shall  be  provided  by  which  access  to  and  ascent  of 
the  mountain  shall  be  made  as  rapid,  cheap,  convenient 
and  comfortable  as  is  practicable,  it  will  be  seen  that 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  a  public  recreation  ground 
can  be  formed  within  the  limits  of  your  property,  which 
shall  compare  favorably  as  a  means  of  health  for  the 
people  w^ho  ar  to  be  invited  ^to  use  it,  with  that  of  any 
other  city  of  the  world. 

You  are  to  be  congratulated  [upon  the  good  judgment 
which  has  governed  the  selection  of  ^the  parcels  of  land 
which  you  have  had  to  purchase  and  in  the  good  fortune 
which  has  allowed  you  to  find  so^^large  an  aggregate  body 
of  land  on  the  immediate  border  of  the  city  which  could 
be  acquired  without  change  for  costly  improvements. 
Parts  of  some  of  the  properties  which  you  have  obtained, 
may,  I  think,  be  regarded  ^s  relatively  unimportant  for 
your  purpose,  and  with  a  view  to  limit  the  cost  of  your 
undertaking,  may  be  otherwise  disposed  of.  There  are 
yet  also,  on  the  boundaries  of  your  ground,  some  small 
patches,  of  which,  with  a  view  to  keeping  under  your 


11 

control  the  best  landscape  effects,  you  should,  if  possible, 
obtain  possession.  I  can  not  at  present  accurately  define 
the  bounds  of  these  fragments  but  have  no  doubt  that 
those  which  I  think  may  be  dispensed  with,  will  exceed 
in  market  value  those  which  I  should  recommend  to  be 
acquired. 

I  beg  to  express  my  obligations  to  Mr.  MacQuisten,  your 
city  surveyor,  Mr.  Smith,  his  deputy,  and  Mr.  McGibbon 
your  superintendent,  for  their  cheerful,  zealous  and 
valuable  assistance  in  my  examination   of  the    ground. 

I  am,  gentlemen, 

your  obedient  servant, 

FRED.  LAW  OLMSTED. 


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